Across Canada, more frequent and severe weather events are disrupting business operations and the infrastructure on which they depend. Wildfires have interrupted transportation corridors and industrial activity across Canada, while flooding has damaged communities and critical infrastructure, and extreme heat is placing additional pressure on energy systems, physical assets and worker safety.
The business impacts rarely remain confined to the communities directly affected. A wildfire can interrupt supply chains hundreds of kilometers away. Flooding can delay projects, disrupt transportation networks and create costly business interruptions. Heat can affect workforce productivity, infrastructure performance and operational resilience. Canada’s vast geography and reliance on a limited number of critical transportation corridors mean that a single chokepoint can have consequences nationwide.
The resulting losses increasingly extend beyond physical damage. Business interruption, supply chain disruption, workforce impacts and rising operating costs can emerge even when an organization's own assets remain untouched. As a result, companies are facing growing pressure to better understand their exposures, strengthen resilience and prepare for a more volatile operating environment.
Canada’s infrastructure was built for a wide range of climates, but many assets were designed using historical assumptions that no longer reflect current conditions. From northern and remote communities reliant on seasonal access routes to municipalities managing heavier rainfall and heat, organizations increasingly need to assess whether the infrastructure they depend on is prepared for the risks ahead.
Lockton's latest report, Global Heating: How a Hotter World is Reshaping Exposures, Insurability and Risk Financing, examines how climate-related risks are evolving across industries and geographies. It explores the growing impact of wildfire, infrastructure stress, energy demand, supply chain disruption and changing insurance market dynamics, while outlining practical strategies organizations can use to strengthen resilience and protect long-term value.
As climate-related disruption becomes a growing business consideration, the question is no longer whether organizations will be affected, but how prepared they are to respond. Explore the report and discover what these trends could mean for Canadian organizations.
Read the full report (opens a new window)to explore what these trends could mean for your organization.